IB DP History origins of the Cold War

• The Yalta conference resulted in the division of Europe into Western and Soviet spheres of influence.
• Marshall Plan - Aid given to European countries to rebuild their economies after WW2
• Truman Doctrine - The US would support any country threatened by communist aggression
• The United States wanted democratic reforms and free elections, while the Soviet Union wanted to maintain authoritarian control over the territory under its influence.
• The Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) was a Soviet attempt to force West Germany out of Berlin, but it failed due to the US/UK/France airlift.
• The United States and the Soviet Union had different visions of the post-war order in Europe.
• The Truman Doctrine provided military assistance to Greece and Turkey against communist insurgents.
• The US was worried about Soviet influence in Europe, particularly with regards to communism.
• The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid Western Europe's economic recovery.
• Stalin's actions, such as his refusal to allow free elections in Eastern European countries, led to tensions between the US and USSR.
• Truman Doctrine was announced on March 12th, 1947, stating that the US would support any country threatened by communism with military or economic aid.
• Marshall Plan aimed at rebuilding war-torn economies in Europe but excluded the Soviet Union due to its own economic problems.
• Truman Doctrine - US pledged military support against communism, starting with Greece and Turkey
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in April 1949 as a military alliance between western nations against the threat of communism
• Stalin's death led to Khrushchev becoming leader of the USSR and initiating de-stalinization policies that included economic liberalization and cultural thaw.
• Communist coup in Czechoslovakia led to the formation of Warsaw Pact in May 1955
• The Truman Doctrine aimed to prevent the spread of communism through military intervention if necessary.
• The Marshall Plan aimed to restore economic stability in Western Europe through aid from the US.
• The Marshall Plan provided economic aid to European nations to promote recovery from World War II.
• The Cominform was established as an organization to coordinate communist parties across Eastern Europe.
• Yugoslavia broke away from the Cominform in 1948.
• The Marshall Plan aimed to rebuild Western European economies and prevent them from falling into communism.
• The Soviet Union saw the Marshall Plan as an attempt to spread American influence and undermine socialism.
• Stalin believed that the capitalist system could not be allowed to recover from World War II.
• The Soviet Union saw the Marshall Plan as a threat because it would strengthen the economies of countries that were already part of NATO.
• The Cominform was established in September 1947 to coordinate communist parties across Eastern Europe.
• Ideological differences between the USA and USSR after WW2 led to the Cold War
• Topics of disagreement at Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam included:

  • The fate of Eastern Europe and free and fair elections
  • The fate of Poland
  • The division of Germany
  • Soviet intervention in Japan
  • The atomic bomb
• Grand Alliance formed in 1941 between the US and UK, excluding Stalin from the Atomic Bomb development
• Reasons for distrust in the USSR:

  • Communist one-party state
  • Poor decision making in the lead up to 1945
• Reasons for distrust in the West:

  • Aggressive actions towards the Soviet Union
  • Events like the Atlantic Charter and the delay in opening a second front in Western Europe
• The fate of Poland:

  • London Poles promised power in Poland after WW2
  • Soviets wanted control for national security, leading to a unity government that quickly fell apart
• The fate of Eastern Europe:

  • Yalta agreement for free and fair elections
  • Soviet use of Salami tactics to establish communist states
• The fate of Germany:

  • Germany divided into 3 sectors at Yalta
  • 4 D's for Germany: Demilitarisation, Denazification, Democratisation, Disarmament
  • Formation of West Germany and East Germany in 1949
• Kennan Telegram (1947):

  • Sent by George Kennan to advise on true intentions of the USSR
  • USSR perceived itself at perpetual war with capitalism
• Iron Curtain Speech (1946) by Winston Churchill:

  • Coined the term "Iron Curtain"
  • Warned against appeasement of the USSR and advocated for containment